Property owners respond to city's compliance effort

FINDLAY — Work to bring Findlay into compliance with federal floodplain regulations appears to be off to a good start, with property owners starting to respond to the city's efforts to survey their properties, although questions remain about the cost. In June, Findlay City Council voted 9-1 during regular session to appropriate $15,000 to help bring about 50 properties into compliance in the downtown area. Councilwoman Holly Frische, R-1, cast the dissenting vote. The properties are located on Eastview Drive, Findlay Street, Huron Road, Clinton Court, 2nd Street, Westview Drive, East Sandusky Street, Shinkle Street, North Blanchard Street, South Blanchard Street, East Main Cross Street, Hawthorne Road, Meeks Avenue, Defiance Avenue, Davis Street, Center Street, Cross Street, Fishlock Avenue, Springlake Drive, Wilson Street, Howard Street and Leiser Avenue. About $5,000 will be spent on professional surveying of 35 properties. The surveying is meant to create elevation certificates for the non-compliant properties to determine what corrections must be made. The city notified the property owners by mail. "Property owners have started to call in and have been communicating with our zoning department to understand what the next steps are, as we work to achieve obtaining elevation certificates for all the properties," said Rob Martin, service-safety director. As of Tuesday, 10 property owners had made the call. Refusal to cooperate could impact their eligibility for flood insurance, according to city officials. In some cases, having the elevation certificate on file will be enough to meet the standards. Other remedies could include venting, filling in crawlspaces or elevating utilities. City administrators have said the $15,000 should be enough to address the problems. However, Frische voted against the legislation because the potential expense to the city is unknown. The Federal Emergency Management Agency identified the properties through its Community Assistance Visit program or CAV audit in 2012. During a CAV audit, FEMA provides technical assistance to communities and evaluates enforcement of floodplain management regulations, as part of the National Flood Insurance Program. The audit typically consists of a tour of the floodplain, an inspection of community permit files and meetings with local appointed and elected officials. FEMA's review comments for the city's CAV included several questions about permitting for construction at the Findlay-Hancock County Public Library, 206 Broadway St., which is located in the city's floodplain and has a below-ground parking garage. Frische cited FEMA's questions about the library's permits in making the argument that the legislation appropriating the $15,000 should be tabled until the costs are known. However, she was again outvoted 9-1. City administrators argued that surveying is the first step and encouraged council to act on the legislation. Any expense above $15,000 would require council's approval. On Tuesday, Erik Adkins, zoning and floodplain administrator, said "note that the properties that received a letter were the ones that mention missing physical items or needed an elevation certificate, with the exception of the Hancock County library. The others involved inaccurate estimates, property evaluations, and insurance claim issues, all that will be worked through administratively with our FEMA representative, rather than needing access to a citizen's property." According to FEMA, if any administrative problems or potential violations are identified during a CAV, the community is notified and allowed to correct those administrative procedures and remedy the violations to the maximum extent possible within established deadlines. FEMA or the state works with the community to help them bring their program into compliance with the requirements. In extreme cases where the community does not take action to bring itself into compliance, FEMA may initiate enforcement action against the community. With the first leg of benching in the Blanchard River now on course for completion, Mayor Christina Muryn has said revisions to the floodplain map related to the project can begin. Revisions could lower the cost of flood insurance or eliminate it for properties impacted by the benching. Flood mitigation efforts along the Blanchard River at Findlay — including the Eagle Creek flood basin, river benching, clearing of the floodplain, and improvements to the Norfolk Southern railroad bridge — are expected to remove about half of 5,000 properties from the 100-year floodplain in Hancock County. Updates to the flood maps to reflect the changes, however, may take years. Officials have said the impact of the mitigation was factored into FEMA's compliance audit.